Data Centers Added to Better Buildings Challenge

Data centers can slash energy by 20%

Data Centers can reduce energy by 20% by participating in the Better Buildings Challenge. Owners will implement efficiency measures and report associated savings for 12 months.

Need to improve the efficiency of your server farm? The Better Buildings Challenge was recently expanded to include data centers.

Close to 20 partners have already joined the challenge by committing to reduce their energy use by at least 20% over the next decade. Participants include national laboratories and federal agencies such as the EPA, NASA, Department of Defense, and the Social Security Administration. Private entities include CoreSite Realty Corporation, eBay Inc., and Staples.

In the first year, owners will prioritize efficiency strategies and report on the associated energy and cost savings. They will also develop an energy metering plan, a showcase project, and an implementation model.

Data centers consumed about 100 billion kWh of electricity in the U.S in 2013 – a number that is expected to grow as more information is shared and stored online. Half of the energy supplied to a typical data center is used in the cooling and power infrastructure, such as the management of air flow and optimization of controls.

“If all data centers were 20% more efficient, the nation could save more than 20 billion kWh of electricity by 2020, which would result in roughly $2 billion in cost savings,” says Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz.

The Better Buildings Challenge supports the goal of doubling American energy productivity by 2030 while motivating building owners to save energy. More than 200 organizations have already completed upgrades to over 9,000 facilities, with 2,100 buildings improving efficiency by least 20% compared to their baseline years.